Mail-bag catcher.



PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

E. POTTER. MAIL BAG GATGHER.

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PATEfITED JUNE 28, 1904.

E. POTTER.

MAIL BAG CATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 21, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

E. POTTER.

MAIL BAG GATGHER.

APPLICATION IILED OCT. 21, 1903.

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No. 763,925. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

E. POTTER.

MAIL BAG GATGHER.

APPLIU4TION FILED 001 .21, 1903;

N0 MODEL, 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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NR fneaaea UNITED STATES Patented June 28, 1904.

EDSON POTTER, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 763,925, dated June 28,1904.

Application filed October 21, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

mail-bag in position to be engaged and released from its support by anyappliances used for that purpose on a passing car; second, to associatein such an apparatus or mechanism a mail box or receptacle standingnormally open and into which a mail-bag may be thrown and the receptacleclosed automatically by the impact or force of the mail-bag therein.

The invention will be hereinafter specified fully, its parts andelements described and combination stated, and the asserted noveltyparticularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated the improvements in the annexeddrawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, and in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of the complete device, showing themail-bag receptacle from the rear. Fig. 2 is a View in end elevation,showing a mail-bag suspended from the crane, the mail-bag receptacle inside elevation, and the reverse position assumed by the mail-bag andmail-receptacle indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 8 is a vertical centralsection through the base, the pedestal, the inner rotatable sleeve, andthe vertically-movable hollow supportingstem and the mail-receptaclesupport with the crane-post broken off. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of thedevice or apparatus. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device, partly inhori- Zontal section, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is avertical central section through the inner rotatable sleeve, showing thecam or screw lifting-groove. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the lowerportion of the vertical movable standard, showing one of the verticalslots in which the shaft of the lifting-pinion works and showing the pinwhich engages in the cam- Serial No. 177,873. (No model.)

groove of the rotatable sleeve. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the upperportion of the pedestal, showing the recesses in which the lug on thelever which rotates the inner sleeve locks. Fig. 9 is a detail planview, partly in horizontal section, taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a detail view of the lever which rotates the inner sleeve andalso serves to lock the parts against rotation.

In the drawings like parts appearing in different illustrations aredesignated by similar reference-notations.

Referring to the drawings, A designates any suitable support, on whichis placed. and secured the base-plate 1 of the machine, having formedthereon or secured therein a hollow cylindrical pedestal 2, extendingvertically to such a height and made of such diameter as may suit it tothe purposes intended. In the base of the pedestal 2 is rotatablyarranged a hollow cylindrical sleeve 3, formed with an annular collar 4,which rests on the upper end of the hollow pedestal 2. To the collar 4is.

pivotally hung a lever 5, formed with a lug or pro ecting part 6, whichengages in looking-recesses 7 8, made in the pedestal at its upper end.This lever 5 swings up to horizontal position when it is used to reversethe position of the mail-receptacle and the crane and then may be swungdown to vertical position and engage in one of thelocking-recesscs, thusholding the mechanism in the position to which it may have been turned.In the inner face of the rotatable sleeve 3 is formed a camgroove 9, inwhich engages a pin 10, fixed at the'proper point in the stem of thesupport or post which carries the mechanism.

11 designates a hollow post loosely disposed in the sleeve 3 and formedor provided in its interior with a vertical rack '12, with which engagesa pinion 13, mounted on a shaft 14, which extends throughoppositely-arranged vertical slots 15, made in the walls of the post 11and journaled on the upper end of the sleeve 3, as indicated in thedrawings. The ends of the shaft 14 ,are squared, so that a crank-handlemay be connected thereto torotate it and cause the pinion to elevate thepost or to cause it to descend after having been moved up. It will beperceived that when the post 11. is elevated by the pinion it is carriedstraight up for a distance by the engagement of the pin 10 in thevertical part of the groove 9, and then when the pin 10 reaches the turnin the cam groove or slot it follows therein and turns or swings thepost, with the elements attached thereto, substantially into reverseposition, and when the pin reaches the end of the slot, which is madewith a slight descent or incline below the highest point in the slot,the post is held in the elevated position. The upper end of the post 11is formed with a T-head 16, one end of which is turned up to verticaldirection and has connected thereto a post 17, which is made therequisite length. To the upper end of the post 17 is pivotally connectedthe crane 18, the connection being made by means of forked arms 19,which extend to the rear of the pivotal support, as seen in thedrawings, the arms serving as levers to raise and lower the crane. Tothe free end of each of the arms 19 are connected rods 20, which extenddown along the side of the post and have their lower ends connected tothe arms of a forked lever 21, mounted at the bend of the T-head 16 insuch a way that the arms of the lever will swing inward past the pivotalpoint, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and hold the crane inhorizontal position, as shown. At the outer end the crane is made withoutwardly-directed arms 22 23, provided with slits 24, which divide thearms into jaws formed with recesses at or near the free ends, betweenwhich the straps, as 25, of the mailbags are inserted and detachablyheld, substantially as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, wherein mailbags, as 26, are shown suspended from the arms of the crane.

In the T-head 16 is secured a sleeve 27, which at its outer end isrecessed half-way round, as at 28, to afford shoulders or steps againstwhich the turning lever lodges when the mail-bag receiver is reversed onits axial support. In the sleeve 27 is journaled a shaft 29, heldagainst endwise displacement by any suitable means and carrying on itsouter end a cross arm or head 30. In the shaft is fixed a lever 31, bywhich the shaft is turned on its axis and the mail-receiver reversed.This lever holds the shaft in a fixed position by engagement with theshoulders on the end of the sleeve 27 and in this way holds the mailbagreceiver in either position to which it may be turned.

32 designates the mail-bag receiver, made, preferably, cylindrical inconformation and consisting of two semicylindrical sections 33 34,hinged together at their back edges, as at 35, and at their frontmeeting edges formed with broad coincident flat flanges 36, which whenthe receiver is closed. lie in contact, as seen in the drawings, andwhen the receiver stands open the flanges serve as guides to direct themail-bag into the interior of the receiver. To the flanges are securedhandholds 37 for opening the receiver. In each end piece of the receiveris formed an opening 38, one-half of said opening being in each sectionof the receiver, as indicated in the drawings. WVhcn the receiver is inclosed position with the mail-bag inside, the straps of the bag willproject through the openings.

Clipped to the ends of the cross head or bar 30 are curved flat springs39 40, standing away from the receiver and having their ends pivotallyconnected to the sections thereof in such relation as to hold thesections open with the hinge tending to press forward and so that whenthe sections are pressed back on the hinge-line the springs will exertinward pressure and throw the sections together. Adjacent to each end ofthe cross-head 30 is a laterally-projecting pin 41, on which is a coilspring 42, having one arm anchored in the cross-head and the other, as43, extending from the section and formed at its free end with a curveor notch in which one of the straps of the mail-bag engages to hold thebag in proper position, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In use the apparatus is set up and secured in proper position alongsidea single-track road, or in case of a double-track road it is positionedbetween the tracks, so as to be accessible from either. The mail-bag isthen secured to the crane by the insertion of the upper looped strap inthe jaws of the crane and the lower strap hooked on the properspring-arm projecting from the mail-bag receiver. The post is thenelevated, by means of the pinion and rack, to the proper height, themail-bag receiver having first been opened if mail is to be depositedtherein. In the upward movement the receiver and the crane will beturned toward the track with the mailbag receiver open and the suspendedmail-bag in the position to be released from the crane and spring-arm,and at the same time the bag to be delivered is thrown into thereceiver, which closes from the contact through the action of thesprings connected to the sections. Vt'hen it is desired to simplyreverse the direction of the mail-bag receiver, it is readilyaccomplished by means of the lever 31, which turns the shaft 29 andreverses the receiver, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The cranemay be swung down by swinging the lever 21 outward. The manipulation ofany of the elements independently is apparent to those acquainted withsuch mechanisms and may be readily ascertained by persons in charge.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1.A mail-bag receiver composed of two semicylindrical sections hingedtogether, and springs to hold the sections open and to close them.

2. A mail-bag receiver composed of two sections hinged together andhaving broad flanges extending from their free meeting edges, andsprings to hold the sections open and to close them.

3. A mail-bag receiver composed of two sections hinged together andhaving broad flanges extending from their meeting edges and coincidentrecesses in the meeting edges of its top and bottom, and springs to holdthe sections open and to close them.

4. The combination of a pivotally-mounted support formed with across-head, means to turnthe support on its axis, springs secured to theends of the cross-head, and a mail-bag receiver composed of two sectionshinged together and having the ends of the springs secured thereto.

' 5. The combination of a pivotally-mounted support formed with across-head, springs secured to the cross-head, and a mail-bag receivercomposed of two sections hinged together and connected to the springs.

6. The combination of a pivotally-mounted support reversible on itsaxis, a cross-head on the support, and a mail-bag receiver consisting ofmovably-connected inclosing sections secured to the cross-head wherebythe receiver is reversed with the reversible support.

7. The combination of a pivotally-mounted support reversible on itsaxis, a cross-head on the support, a mail-bag receiver consisting ofmovably-connected inclosing sections secured to the cross-head, means toreverse the support, and means to raise and lower it.

8. The combination of a pivotally-mounted support reversible on itsaxis, a cross-head on the support, a mail-bag receiver secured to thecross-head, means to reverse the support, means to raise and lower it,and means to swing it on a horizontal plane.

9. A device of the character described comprising a hollowsupporting-pedestal, a cylindrical sleeve rotatably placed therein andformed with a cam slot or groove, means to rotate and lock the sleeve, ahollow post in the sleeve formed with a pin to engage the cam-slot, anda hollow T-head, means to raise and lower the post, a sleevehorizontally secured in the T-head, a shaft in the sleeve re-' the innerface of the post, a shaft placed through the slots, and a pinion on theshaft to engage the rack and raise and lower the post.

11. The combination with the mail-bag receiver, of a spring-arm securedthereto adapted to engage a loop on a mail-bag, and the crane formed atits outer end to detachably engage a loop on a mail-bag, substantiallyas described.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination with theT-head 16, of the post 17, a crane pivotally secured to the top of thepost, connecting-rods, and a lever connected to the rods to operate thecrane, substantially as described.

13. In a device of the character described,

the combination with the T-head 16, of a vertical crane-support securedin the T-liead, a crane pivotally mounted on the crane-support andformed at its outer end with arms formed With spring-jaws adapted todetachably take in a loop'on a mail-bag. v

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDSON POTTER.

I/Vitnesses:

OLIvER N. HIETT, GEO. A. MILLER.

